Massively

ArenaNet shares Hall of Monuments newbie guide and reward video

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Guild Wars 2, Guides

With only a month remaining until the release of Guild Wars 2, many players are frantically working on boosting their Guild Wars Hall of Monuments numbers in order to gain access to special GW2 rewards. Content Designer John Stumme posted a neat introductory guide to getting 30 points or more, and he slants his post toward the newcomer.

"Most people will be content to get 30 points for all of the special items, and that's a task that's much easier to break down," he assures us.

In addition to the guide, Stumme put together a video showing off the in-game rewards that the Hall of Monuments produces in ArenaNet's sequel. You can check this video out after the jump, but don't forget that Massively has a rather excellent Hall of Monuments guide as well!

Continue reading ArenaNet shares Hall of Monuments newbie guide and reward video

ArenaNet shares Hall of Monuments newbie guide and reward video originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars celebrates the Dragon Festival this weekend

Elisabeth Cardy — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), News Items

It's that special time of year again. The heat is oppressive, the days are long, and the Dragon Festival is here. Guild Wars is once again celebrating the traditional Dragon Festival, which will run from 3:00 p.m. EDT today until 3:00 a.m. EDT on July 2nd. The festivities will include all the normal quests, boardwalk games, missions, bouts in the Dragon Arena, and decorations that long-time players know and love. Some slight changes have been made to the final event rewards: Rather than getting a new mask from Emperor Kisu during the finale, players will receive Imperial Mask Tokens to trade in for previous Dragon Festival or Day of the Tengu hats.

With a brief two months remaining before the release of Guild Wars 2, this might be the perfect opportunity to use the boardwalk games to earn a couple of titles if you're still shy of your desired Hall of Monuments point quota.

Guild Wars celebrates the Dragon Festival this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars: What keeps fans coming back

Elisabeth Cardy — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Opinion, Anniversaries

Spring is in the air in Guild Wars! I can hear the pitter-patter of speed-enhanced feet coming from the Dragon Arena, the roar of the crowds watching Rollerbeetle races, and the endless grunts of unlucky players on the Nine Rings. It's a celebration -- the celebration of the seventh anniversary of Guild Wars, to be precise.

In and around the annual birthday cupcake hoarding that's going on for the duration of festivities, this year has a few other exciting tricks up its proverbial sleeve. For one thing, a new and limited-edition pet has been made available; the Hound of Balthazar can be unlocked for free by having a brief chat with Ceira, Sworn to Fire, in Embark Beach. For another, the bonuses from all weekend events are active for the anniversary, so players will have to go pretty far out of their way to not reap sweet, sweet rewards for any time spent in-game between now and May 8th.

Seven's a pretty nice number, don't you think? This is something of a special event, as ArenaNet's promise to get Guild Wars 2 shipped before year's end means that this'll be the last birthday that Guild Wars gets to have before the sequel comes along and grabs everyone's attention -- if, indeed, that's not already happening, what with the beta weekend that's going on right this moment. Even with Guild Wars 2 soaking up some limelight, though, Guild Wars is doing its creators proud and aging with grace and dignity. Let's take a look at some of the building blocks of the game's longevity.

Continue reading Guild Wars: What keeps fans coming back

Guild Wars: What keeps fans coming back originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

Brianna Royce — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Guild Wars, Business Models, Classes, Economy, Game Mechanics, Guilds, Lore, Previews, PvP, Endgame, Guild Wars 2, Hands-On, Guides, Dungeons, Crafting

The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

Guild Wars 2 is on the way (when it's ready), and classic Guild Wars players probably understand that soon they'll be competing with a younger sibling -- a smarter, more attractive one who's sure to get more of mom's attention. And while we're sure that some of the more stalwart Guild Wars 2 fans are also Guild Wars players, not all veterans of the first edition are dedicated to licking up every drop of sequel info squeezed out of blogs, conventions, and betas. Those veterans might just be wondering, what exactly can Guild Wars 2 offer them, other than Hall of Monuments tie-ins? What's changed? What's the same? What will they love, what will they hate, and what could possibly make them jump ship to the new hotness?

The first and most important thing you must know is that yes, you can jump in Guild Wars 2! Seriously, though, jumping is more than just a thing you do with your spacebar when you're bored; it's a symbol of boundlessness. Guild Wars 2 itself is trying to jump a lot higher than its elder brother, and probably the essential difference between the games is that feeling that the walls have come down and gravity is letting loose. That alone should urge classic players to take a peek, but if that's not enough for you, fire up your Jeremy Soule soundtracks (yes, he's onboard for an encore!) and read on...

Continue reading Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards?

Brianna Royce — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Guild Wars has long been a source of mild frustration for me because not all of the game's achievements are account-wide. While aspects of the Hall of Monuments are based on your account's accomplishments and skill unlocks are accessible by alts, the game nevertheless discourages me from devoting time to my secondary toons, not when there are factions and titles still to grind on my main.

I'm intrigued by games that offer parallel power tracks that show your overall investment in the game, not just in one character. Lord of the Rings Online's Destiny and Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy systems do just that: They reward you for playing multiple characters by allotting you currency that can be spent on special rewards.

So today we ask you: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards like Destiny and Legacy points? Or do you think they unduly reward scattered play rather than specialization in one character and class in the game?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Efficient Hall of Monuments progress

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Guides

Guild Wars 2 is drawing ever closer. It may not feel like it sometimes, but it's getting nearer each day. A lot of fans are easing the pain of the wait by playing through Guild Wars 1 in an effort to beef up their Hall of Monuments scores for the day GW2 arrives.

The Hall of Monuments in GW might only award titles and cosmetic goodies, but we gamers do love our shinies, so lots of people are diving into present-day Tyria to make some HoM progress while they wait for GW2. I posted a series of Hall of Monuments guides almost a year and a half ago, and while most of it has stood the test of time very well, I want to revisit it.

The reason I want to do this is to smooth the path a little more. So many people are still coming into Guild Wars for this reason, and starting from scratch with such an enormous goal can make a lot of them throw in the towel. Thankfully, ArenaNet has added some features into the game in the past few years that can make your Hall of Monuments progress more "hare" and less "tortoise," with the same prizes at the end. They all work together so you can get the most of your travels through Tyria in a much shorter time.

This one's for the min-maxers, so follow along to read about three simple things you can keep an eye on to speed up your HoM progress!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Efficient Hall of Monuments progress

Flameseeker Chronicles: Efficient Hall of Monuments progress originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: High achievers

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Game Mechanics, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

Well, ArenaNet certainly didn't let 2011 go out on a quiet note. The team had a few last tricks up its sleeve before closing down shop until the new year. We chatted with Eric Flannum about the Guild Wars 2 Mesmer, and the newest ArenaNet blog post contained some exciting talk of combat, achievements, and some tweaking to the Thief class.

I loved hearing about the updates to the Thief and to combat because the fact that the developers are talking about fine-tuning says good things to me about the development process. However, it was the talk of achievements that really caught my attention because it's such a sweeping, game-wide system. Follow along after the jump and let's take a closer look!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: High achievers

Flameseeker Chronicles: High achievers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars' elite areas -- The Fissure of Woe

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Flameseeker Chronicles, Guides

As 2011 draws to a close and hordes of hopeful Guild Wars 2 fans look to 2012 for a possible launch, people are beginning to turn eyes back to the Hall of Monuments. (No, stop that. We're not debating launch dates; I'm just saying.) It's been over a year since ArenaNet unveiled the Hall of Monuments calculator. I wrote the Road to 50 Hall of Monuments guide series right away, so you guys probably have the basics done and are looking at some of the more challenging parts of Guild Wars. If you're not familiar with the series, I definitely recommend you check it out -- there are separate guides for those who are starting with only three points, those who are aiming for 30 points, and those who want to go all 50.

With that in mind, I want to spend some time on one of my favorite parts of the game: elite areas. If you've finished all three campaigns and the expansion -- preferably both in normal and hard mode -- and you're ready for a bigger challenge, it's time to take on the elite areas. I'll be focusing on one elite area each week while we wait for Guild Wars 2 news, so follow along and let's get you started on the first area: the Fissure of Woe. Ready, set, kill!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars' elite areas -- The Fissure of Woe

Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars' elite areas -- The Fissure of Woe originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: The clock is ticking

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

Disclaimer: Today's Flameseeker Chronicles is more along the "observation and thinking aloud" line than the "guide or news" line, so your input is very welcome at the end.

It's been well over a year since the Hall of Monuments was unveiled for Guild Wars 2, bringing with it a large and ongoing influx of new players. These are players who either tried Guild Wars 1 and it didn't stick for them, or players who never tried it in the first place but are here now to prepare for Guild Wars 2.

New players are great -- a bigger community is often a win for everyone involved. But this new playerbase isn't exactly what we've been used to. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The clock is ticking

Flameseeker Chronicles: The clock is ticking originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Let's review!

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Guilds, Flameseeker Chronicles

The ArenaNet team has been quiet lately in the news department and deservedly so. Between GDC, PAX East, the Guild Wars 2 Thief, and Embark Beach and heroes in Guild Wars 1, I imagine the developers are ready to catch up on frivolous things like eating, sleeping, sitting, and breathing.

We've got Winds of Change and Guild Wars' sixth birthday to look forward to, but in the meantime, I want to take the opportunity to play catch-up. When there's a pause in new information, I always enjoy backing up a bit and spending some quality time with newer players.

I know that there's been another influx of new players recently, particularly after so many saw GW2 at PAX. Follow along after the jump for a roundup of Guild Wars basic guides as well as an update and information on Massively's official Guild Wars guild.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Let's review!

Flameseeker Chronicles: Let's review! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: A look back at 2010

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

Welcome to the last Flameseeker Chronicles of 2010, in which I wax sentimental over this year and salivate over what the next one promises.

It's been a huge year for both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 -- probably one of the biggest since Guild Wars 1 launched. There was civil war in Tyria, with consequences more far-reaching than any of us as players could imagine at the outset. Profession reveals came fast and furious for a while, and when the dust settled, we had extensive information on half of the Guild Wars 2 professions.

Gamescom and PAX brought us actual Guild Wars 2 gameplay, the War in Kryta seemed to go on and on, and there were even some shakeups behind the scenes, with ArenaNet swinging a banhammer of massive proportions and dismantling the Xunlai tournament house. Follow along and let's take a look at what 2010 brought to Tyria.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: A look back at 2010

Flameseeker Chronicles: A look back at 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars fansite hosts "Night of the Mini Pets" community event

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game)

A long-running event in the Guild Wars community should be gaining an extra dose of attention and excitement this year. In all the player buzz over the Hall of Monuments, many people have found the Monument to Devotion to be one of the most difficult to fill.

That problem might be solved for many people thanks to the upcoming Night of the Mini Pets. Fansite Blade Radio has worked to coordinate this event for three years running, and each year hundreds of miniatures are handed out to Guild Wars players as prizes.

This year is bigger than ever: Blade Radio has over 1,100 minis (both dedicated and undedicated) to distribute along with many other items including a prepaid Guild Wars 2 package. The event will be held for three nights beginning on October 29th, so check out the Night of the Mini Pets page for all of the details and a full prize list.

Guild Wars fansite hosts "Night of the Mini Pets" community event originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: A light to guide the way

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

With Guild Wars 2 looming on the horizon, more players are headed back into Guild Wars to build up their individual Halls of Monuments before the game launches. Thanks to our very own Rubi, we've got an excellent, ever-increasing series of guides illuminating just how to gather awards as ye may. For those who may not be joining the monument-chasing fray, we instead have today's scenic image from Hawk Nevermore. He writes in to explain a bit more about this beach scene: "I was out doing the daily Zaishen mission when I got sidetracked by an uncontrollable urge to explore a shaded-out area of my minimap. That brought me to this hidden gem of a screenshot -- a magnificent view of the white sands of Kryta, dominated by the tower of a castle in the distance. Watch out, though: This place isn't a paradise. There's lots of hostile drakes and undead populating these beaches."

One Shots is all about what you, the players, are doing. If you'd like to share your screenshots and experiences with everyone, then gather them up and send them to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll post them out here and give you the credit for sending it in.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

One Shots: A light to guide the way originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Stop telling me how to get 50 points when I only have three

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Game Mechanics, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

I've spent a ton of time the past week talking about how to get 50 points in your Hall of Monuments, and while I'm happy with how much people seemed to enjoy it, I got a lot of feedback of another kind.

This is the connection between Guild Wars 1 and Guild Wars 2 that we've been waiting for, so a surprising number of players have either come out of retirement or are picking up the game for the first time. Those players read a guide on how to get 50 or even 30 points, check their calculators, see three points, and can't even begin to imagine how they'll catch up.

Well, my main account might be sporting 46 points, but the image above is a screenshot of the calculator for my Massively/Guildcast account, so I am right there with you guys. For that reason -- and thanks to a pile of requests -- this Flameseeker Chronicles is for those of you just starting out. I mentioned some of this in last week's Flameseeker Chronicles, but it was geared more toward those who are already underway. This is more basic, so follow along after the jump for a guide on how to get up to speed.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Stop telling me how to get 50 points when I only have three

Flameseeker Chronicles: Stop telling me how to get 50 points when I only have three originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (V)

Rubi Bayer — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Guides

Day five! This is the last day in our Road to 50 series, and we're going to look at the final segment of the Hall of Monuments: the Monument to Valor. This is where you'll dedicate all of your most prestigious weapons, and there has been a lot of discussion among players regarding what they think should be included.

In the end, though, you have three choices: Tormented, Oppressor's, and Destroyer weapons. You need to have a total of 15 weapons displayed in any combination, but you have to have at least one of each type for full points. The process of getting them isn't as bad as you might think, particularly if you take your time. It's just a matter of knowing where to look, so follow along after the jump and we'll go through them!

Continue reading The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (V)

The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (V) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week on The MMO Report

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, News Items, Humor

It's been a long week since your last dose of Uncle Casey, and we don't blame you if you have the shakes. Fortunately, G4's Casey Schreiner is back with an all-new The MMO Report, condensing the best and strangest MMO stories from this past week for your edumacation.

On tap for this week is the revelation of specific Guild Wars 2 rewards for filling up your Hall of Monuments in Guild Wars (man, we really need to report on this!), the new Star Wars: The Old Republic dev diary covering the light side of the Force, and a revival of bluegrass music. Banjo anyone?

So top off your pun tank by hitting the jump to The MMO Report!

Continue reading This week on The MMO Report

This week on The MMO Report originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (IV)

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Guides

Today's focus is one I've been looking forward to all week: Guild Wars armor. It's a completely frivolous and cosmetic part of the game after a certain point -- max armor is max armor regardless of the outward appearance -- but there are some great options out there.

As always, the Hall of Monuments calculator rewards variety. You'll need to have seven elite armor sets, with three specific types in the mix: Luxon or Kurzick, Vabbian, and Obsidian. These are obtained with varying degrees of difficulty, so we'll look at them all.

Follow along after the jump and we'll look at how to get the full eight points in this monument.

Continue reading The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (IV)

The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (IV) originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (III)

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, PvP, PvE, Guild Wars 2

Today's Road to 50 is all about the Monument to Honor. The biggest of them all, the one with the cool statue behind it, and the one that you need 15 points rather than eight to max. You've got more freedom here, though: there are a total of 53 available titles and you need 40 for maximum points.

This gives you some flexibility to pick and choose according to your playstyle, but it can still seem pretty overwhelming. There are some pretty efficient ways to do this, and once you start you'll be surprised at how quickly the bars start filling. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look.

Continue reading The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (III)

The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (III) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (II)

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Guild Wars 2

Welcome to day two of The Road to 50! After addressing minipets yesterday, I'm excited to spend today on their larger counterparts: pets and heroes. The Monument to Fellowship is so much fun to fill in my view, because it sends you to challenge missions, off-the-beaten-path quests, elite areas, and more in order to obtain everything on the list.

Getting every pet required and armor for every hero in the game, in my view, is an opportunity to explore some real teamwork with your friends, guildmates, and allies while you see parts of Guild Wars that you haven't seen before.

Follow along as I tell you all about how to get the full eight points in the Monument to Fellowship.

Continue reading The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (II)

The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (II) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (I)

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Guild Wars 2, Guides

While I was writing today's Flameseeker Chronicles, I noticed something: It was about twice as long as my normal columns, and yet I'd barely skimmed the surface. Many players in the Guild Wars community went inactive over the past few years while waiting for Guild Wars 2. Now that we know all the details of the strongest link between the two games, hundreds if not thousands of players are coming out of retirement to max out their Halls.

Today's Flameseeker Chronicles was a generalized guide to reaching 30 points on the calculator. That number will get you every reward on the scale, but so many veteran players and completionists are chasing 50 points that I wanted to do something for them too. The Road to 50 is a feature that will run for five days this week, each day focusing on a different monument. I'll give tips, suggestions, and guides for obtaining a "full score" in each one.

Today's focus is Miniatures, so follow along after the jump to see how to get your hands on 50 of your little friends.

Continue reading The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (I)

The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (I) originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Brother, can you spare a diamond?

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Economy, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Guides

I've spent a lot of time the past few days with my inventory and storage panels open in Guild Wars. Like it did to pretty much the entire Guild Wars community, the surprise announcement of the Hall of Monuments calculator sent me into a tizzy of "What do I have? What do I need? I have to PvP? Noooooo!!"

OK, maybe that last thing was just me, but my point stands. The revelation of all the shiny rewards and titles available on the point scale is thrilling. Personally, the "Flameseeker" title was my immediate goal, and I scrambled around to get that one right away. Now I'm chasing 50 points, as are several of my guildmates.

I was happy to see so many of my inactive guildies back because of this, but I noticed something immediately. They were confused! (No, seriously. I love you guys, but I could practically see the "omg too much!" looks on your faces.) Just from hanging out and watching the community both in and out of game the past few days, I realized pretty quickly that this is happening all over Tyria.

So many longtime players have gone inactive while they waited to see how GW1 was going to link to Guild Wars 2. Now they're back in droves after being gone for a while, and they feel like they might never catch up. So, this week's Flameseeker Chronicles is for you guys. Follow along after the jump and I'll help you get back in the game and all caught up.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Brother, can you spare a diamond?

Flameseeker Chronicles: Brother, can you spare a diamond? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars: Eye of the North gets Steamy

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Promotions

If you've been holding back from purchasing Guild Wars' first (and probably only) expansion pack, then you might want to reconsider. Guild Wars: Eye of the North not only is available on Steam for the first time, but is being offered for 33% off one week only, bringing the price down to $13.39 until October 15th. This is a better deal than the discount that NCsoft is offering on its own store, where GW:EotN is on sale for $19.99.

While not a full-fledged campaign, Eye of the North does offer a huge assortment of goodies, including new regions, tons of dungeons, dozens of new skills, additional heroes, and rare armor sets.

For players eagerly awaiting Guild Wars 2, it's definitely worth a trip back through the lands of Tyria, especially now that we're learning more about how the Hall of Monuments from Eye of the North will "pay forward" rewards and titles into Guild Wars 2.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North gets Steamy originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet adds Oppressor's Weapons to Guild Wars Hall of Monuments

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Guild Wars 2

The War in Kryta in Guild Wars is long over, but we've got a lot to remember it by. Some of those memories take the form of Oppressor's Weapons, the special items offered as a reward for your character once he or she finished helping Queen Salma retake her throne.

Those were some hard-earned weapons, and ArenaNet heard the feedback loud and clear: the things deserve a place in the Hall of Monuments. "After discussing it here amongst the team, we decided to commemorate the players' hard-fought victory over the White Mantle by adding the Oppressor's weapon set to the Monument to Valor inside the Hall of Monuments. This new set will forever honor those who helped bring peace back to the troubled lands of Kryta."

So says the latest ArenaNet blog post in a move that should make a lot of players very happy. Check it out for yourself, then join the stampede to Eye of the North.

ArenaNet adds Oppressor's Weapons to Guild Wars Hall of Monuments originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: The aftermath of the War in Kryta

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), Flameseeker Chronicles

The War in Kryta ended with a bang, but was unfortunately overshadowed a bit by the information avalanche coming from Guild Wars 2 last week. It was an extremely exciting week for Guild Wars 2 fans, but I want to backtrack a bit and look at the current state of the War in Kryta.

It's been an interesting story from the beginning, and I don't think it's over by a long shot. No war ends with a single final battle that leaves everyone happy and ready to resume daily life, and the same is true of the War in Kryta. Follow along after the jump and we'll take a look at the land of Kryta today.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The aftermath of the War in Kryta

Flameseeker Chronicles: The aftermath of the War in Kryta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back to the Future: A guide to GW's Hall of Monuments

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Guild Wars, Game Mechanics, Guides, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Education

Who doesn't love to brag about their accomplishments and show off their stuff? Luckily for Guild Wars players, the addition of the Hall of Monuments with last year's Eye of the North expansion allows a new way to show off what you've achieved in game and the very best high-end items you've obtained. However, the Hall of Monuments is so much more. It's also a way to transfer these items into the future for all of your descendants in Guild Wars 2 to enjoy.

It really is a fascinating idea, when you think about it. Accomplishments are meant to be displayed; that's the easy part. Creating the HoM as a portal from the GW1 storyline into the GW2 storyline is where it gets good. Also, with the HoM, ArenaNet has solved that problem where the original GW1 characters won't be transferable between games (because of the complete revamp of the game engine), but their historical items will. Kind of like inheriting granny's favorite doily collection, except with swords and axes.

Continue reading Back to the Future: A guide to GW's Hall of Monuments

Back to the Future: A guide to GW's Hall of Monuments originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upcoming changes to GW's Hall of Monuments

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Game Mechanics, Guild Wars 2

According to a recent Guild Wars developer update, the Hall of Monuments is getting some much-needed love in preparation for the upcoming sequel: Guild Wars 2. While there is no definite date for these changes, they've been detailed in this update so players know what to expect.

The Hall of Monuments accomplishments will be viewable by character or by account, but as far as how they will transfer from GW1 to GW2, that will be account-wide. This means all HoM accomplishments for any character on that account will be available to every GW2 character on that account. Plus, after plenty of concern from players, the Tormented weapons will finally be available in the HoM. This not only gives players the option to display these Tormented weapons, but also allows them to be unlocked in GW2. ArenaNet plans to provide more information regarding the exact rewards available to the Hall of Monuments once we get closer to a GW2 release date.

Upcoming changes to GW's Hall of Monuments originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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